Page 31 of Once Bitten
“No. I used to when I was a kid, but Jamie and I aren’t allowed to have a dog at our apartment. We need to drop that place though, so maybe next spot we end up.”
“I want to get a dog soon,” she said softly, liking the idea that they both had a mind to get a dog. She was just now thinking it out, because after five years with Alex, she had resigned herself to not having a pet. Alex had terrible allergies, and it was always a pain to see him after a shift at the clinic. He had stayed as far away from her and the veterinarian clinic as possible until she’d changed and showered while they dated. Being walked to work like she was by Steve now had never been a possibility with Alex, and she loved every step they took together.
“What kind?” he asked, taking another drink of his coffee.
Jordyn gave a small shrug. “Any kind will do, I guess. Maybe something small, so it doesn’t go crazy in my apartment. I would feel so bad getting a big dog and not having a yard for it to play in, but I’m not picky, you know? There are so many dogs in shelters, and I’d be happy with any of them. I mean, they all need a good home and they have plenty of love to give.” She turned to smile up at Steve, and he caught her by surprise with a kiss.
The kiss was unexpected but sweet, just a brush of his lips against hers, the result of a quick step into her space that had her body coming up flush to his. Jordyn smiled and curled a hand behind his neck, fingers rubbing his skin lightly as they stared at the other.
“What was that for?” she asked, feeling breathless when he let her go. He opened his mouth to answer when Jordyn’s co-worker, Tina, interrupted them.
“Jordyn?”
Jordyn turned her head to see Tina walking up a fast good bag in hand from her lunch break and a questioning look on her face. “Hey, Tina. You have a good break?” Jordyn asked, and Tina nodded, but her eyes were on Steve.
“Tina, this is Steve,” Jordyn said, trying to decipher the way Tina was looking at him. It was focused, but not in a good way—like she knew him, but she wasn’t happy about the fact. “Steve, Tina.” Jordyn nodded back at her co-worker.
“Hey,” Steve said. He’d also picked up on the scrutiny Tina was giving him, her eyes moving up and down his heavily tattooed arms. Her gaze paused briefly at his neck, where Jordyn still touched him, black script from a tattoo showed above the collar of his shirt.
“I…I’ve seen you somewhere…” Tina started with a shake of her head, and then she sighed with a laugh. “Sorry, I have a thing with faces. This is going to bug me.” She gave them an apologetic smile, already walking toward the clinic door, but she stopped suddenly. “What about Alex?” Tina asked, giving Jordyn a pointed look.
Jordyn wanted to kick her. What the hell was she doing asking about Alex like this?
She wasn’t particularly all that close with Tina. The other woman had only come to work at the clinic within the last few months, and Jordyn still hadn’t quite gotten used to Tina’s blunt nature. If there was something on her mind, she asked. She didn’t make any moves to hide her thoughts and it could be nice...sometimes.
Now was not one of those times though.
“Um, we’re over,” Jordyn told her before taking Steve’s hand again. “Like really over.”
“Ah, so Steve’s the new guy, then. Nice work.” Tina gave her a grin before disappearing into the clinic.
“She’s almost as bad as Jamie,” Steve sighed.
“Worse, because I’m not even really friends with her. Could you imagine if I was?”
Steve made a face at her words. “She’d be unstoppable, be careful with ones like that,” he told her and Jordyn repressed the urge to tell him it was too late because Dora was even worse, but she figured he knew that given his friendship with Jamie. Steve glanced down at his watch and his hold on her waist tightened. “I have to get back to the shop for an appointment, and you have to go back to work.” He gave her a gentle nudge towards the front door and she had to actively not dig her heels in. Half an hour with this man passed by like it was seconds. She was going to have to see if she could swing an hour on her busy days like today.
“Fine, fine.” Jordyn pulled away and took the few steps to the door but turned back to look at him before going inside. “What time were you thinking tonight?” she asked, her fingers drumming against the handle of the door. “Like midnight?” she joked.
He rolled his eyes at her. “Haha, Jordyn. No, not midnight, and you're in luck because I get off work at 6:30,” he said.
“I…could make dinner?” She looked at him, hopefully. She had a busy last half of her shift but she had plenty of time to get through it and squeeze in a quick trip to the grocery store. She could have something together before he got there.
“I’ll be there at seven."
Chapter Seventeen
When Steve walked backinto Ink and Bone, he noticed that the other artists were staring at him with open curiosity. There wasn’t a bit of work being done in the whole place, but he didn’t really care. He might have before... but looking down at the coffee cup in his hand, filled with the too-sweet coffee he preferred, he didn’t give a single fuck about what any of his employees thought.
Not when Jordyn had brought the coffee to him.
Not when she had made time to see him. To remember what he said and what he liked. When she had looked at him with pride at learning Ink and Bone belonged to him and Jamie. It was enough to put a bounce in his step where there hadn't been one before, and more than one of the tattoo artists took notice of the smile that stayed on his face throughout the long day.
A typical day at the shop was usually long and tiring. Each artist was fully booked by clients for months out and there was next to no down time. With the constant stream of customers the need to pay attention to detail took its toll. A perfect job wasn't overachieving but expected when people paid to have your artwork on their bodies for a lifetime.
There was no room for error, especially not when they were still within the first year or so of business. They had to be perfect if they wanted to keep standing out in the area. Luckily, the people that came in were special in a way that made the job enjoyable. Yes, there were assholes they threw out or refused to work with again, but for the most part, the people that came into Ink and Bone were good people.
Usually, people stood out to Steve as he worked, the stories they told him had a way of echoing in his mind long after they left. But, on this day, he couldn't recall what he had done, or who he had spoken too. It was all a blur. If he thought hard enough, he could remember a few color shading appointments, and a consultation but nothing and no one had made an impression on him.
